I can’t help but feel a pang of sorrow over the loss of my beloved The Mendoza Line, but Young & Brave‘s eponymous first full length gives me hope that I’ve found a successor to the country-rock inspired pop band crown. Riddled with scathing guitar work, and just the right amount of fuzz, YAB manages to tell intricate (mostly) 4 minutes stories, built around the voices of Jon McKnight & Sarah Lynn Fisher, without overstating themselves. The album runs the gauntlet of great pop with “No Sympathy” sounding like a treasured Rilo Kiley B-side, and the barn burner “Holy Ghost” charges at you hitting on notes that are pure Black Keys. While the album standout, “Say You Will” ,comes out of left field, first sounding like something you’d find on a Dap Kings album, then building to an epic sing along infused with visceral guitar work, and pounding drums.
Young & Brave- No Sympathy
Young & Brave- Holy Ghost
Young & Brave- Say You Will
Verdict: Hopefully sometime in the near future people will refer to this as simply the YAB album.
Notes:
- Each copy of the album features a hand made cover with unique art work, which is a very nice touch.
- The album was engineered by Joel Adair of Small Time Ruffians who’s also working on the Manned Missiles EP.
DayBowBow 
Leave a comment